Lima Shanty Town Tour-Local Life Experience
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Lima, Peru
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See a totally different side of Lima away from the usual tourist highlights during this visit to one of the city’s shantytowns. During your exploration, visit a local kindergarten, offering a chance to challenge the prevailing myths about poverty and the people it impacts. Best of all, a portion of your trip purchase goes to helping the community and its residents. Your tour includes round-trip hotel transport from Barranco, Miraflores, and San Isidro.
- Discover a different side of Lima on a walking tour
- Visit one of the city’s shantytowns and meet local residents
- Learn about daily life with visits to a kindergarten and local artisans
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from selected areas in Lima
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Private transport
- Small group
- Bottled water
- All Fees and Taxes
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Market May 12
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Villa el Salvador
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- If you are a solo traveler do not hesitate to ask about availability (WhatsApp: +51 947 142 030)
- We recommend to wear confortable clothes, shoes and take a bottle of water with you
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 181 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Kim_F, Jul 2026
We were really hoping for a great experience, like the description and reviews state and the photos show. We did not visit a silverware craftsman, and we did not visit a Kindergarten (apparently only the morning tour does this, no where on the description does it tell you to book the morning tour). I think we saw the yellow stairs but they were not pointed out to us. Silvana was a great guide but the whole tour was very disappointing.
Austin_L, Jun 2026
Came to Peru with a friend for the first time. This tour deff was one of the highlights. Our tour guide Amadeo was great he was so sweet and educated us a lot about the city or Peru. I would deff recommend this tour to a friend 100%
Melissa_B, Jun 2026
We visited Lima's "shantytowns," specifically the area known as Villa El Salvador, not as tourists seeking a photo opportunity, but with a genuine desire to better understand one of Lima's largest communities. What we experienced far exceeded our expectations.
We were delighted by the bustling markets, the warmth and generosity of the people, and the opportunity to see a side of Lima that most visitors never experience. One of the most meaningful aspects of the tour was learning about the history of the area and the determination of residents who have worked hard to build lives and opportunities for their families.
Our guide, Cesar Contreras of Haku Tours, was truly exceptional !!!! He taught us so much not only about Villa El Salvador, but about Lima as a whole. At one point, he even drew a map of Lima in the sand to explain the city's growth and the development of the area. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and ability to bring the story of the city to life made the experience especially memorable. As a bonus, he also shared countless recommendations and tips for things to do throughout Lima.
This was one of the most authentic and eye-opening experiences of our time in Peru. If you want to go beyond the typical tourist attractions and gain a deeper understanding of Lima and its people, do not miss this tour. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
A special thank you to Viator for making this experience available. We are grateful for the opportunity to discover a side of Lima that many visitors never see and will remember this tour long after our trip has ended.
Karen_S, May 2026
Our tour guide Amadeo was exceptional. Went to a Peruvian market then to a soup kitchen. Talked to the leader of the kitchen for a good amou
Betsy_C, Feb 2026
Far from the city center are the gritty slums built by newcomers to Lima, many of whom fled violence in the rural areas and came with few resources. The tour shows how they work hard to make a new life. More than that, you meet people who care deeply about building a safe community and the tour actually contributes to these efforts. JJ, our guide, shared his broad knowledge of the factors that have influenced the growth of the area and challenges facing the people.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your thoughtful review. We are glad that JJ could provide such a deep insight into the resilience and community spirit within the local neighborhoods. It means a lot to us that you recognized how this experience contributes to the efforts of the community.
Best regards,
Marketing Team
janet, Jan 2026
Very interesting to see another side of Lima. Mauricio was very interesting and very knowledgeable about the area and history of the area.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your kind feedback! We are very happy to know that Mauricio provided an interesting and knowledgeable perspective on another side of Lima. It’s important for us to share the rich history and local life of our community with our visitors. Thank you for joining us!
Maria P. Marketing Team
Nerissa_P, Dec 2025
Wonderful way to see another side of the city that isn’t the popular to tourists. To see the poorer but more interesting parts.
Jessica_S, Dec 2025
We took a tour to visit one of the poverty-stricken areas in Lima, and it turned out to be a truly meaningful experience. The tour was eye-opening and gave us a real look at how many Peruvians live outside of the typical tourist zones. The guides were informative, respectful to the community, and made sure we understood the history, challenges, and strength of the people who live there.
I was honestly surprised that more visitors don’t choose to take this tour. It’s an important reminder of the realities behind a city that most people only see from the tourist perspective. Being involved, learning, and witnessing daily life in these neighborhoods gave us a deeper understanding and appreciation for the culture and resilience of the Peruvian people.
It’s an experience I’m grateful we had.
Dumitrache_L, Oct 2025
Experience other side of Lima and meet extraordinary and dedicated people working for the comunity..
Patricia_D, Sep 2025
This is a fascinating tour into an outer neighborhood of Lima. Our guide, Giovanna, is a local and is very fun and informative. The market is amazing. We highly recommend this tour for a different adventure in Lima.
Ernest_M, Jul 2025
Very educational experience! Highly recommend! It was nice to see the community and hear about all the amazing work being done
Julie, May 2025
This was one of our best experiences when visiting Lima, meeting inspirational local people striving to improve their local communities. Our guide, Leonardo, and our driver were excellent.
Jason_T, Mar 2025
A real well run day by hakan tours. J the guide was really enthusiastic. They have real connections with the community in the shanty towns from shops to community workers. Highly recommended
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that you had such a great day with Haku Tours. It's wonderful that JJ’s enthusiasm helped make the tour even more memorable. Our strong connections with the local community are something we take great pride in, and we're so glad you could experience that firsthand. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more impactful journeys soon!
JP
Marketing Team
Laura_F, Jan 2025
I highly recommend this tour. Lima is a beautiful city but there is another side to the city where 3 + million kind, happy and generous people live. This is a chance to learn why they are there, how they live and what their culture and life philosophy are. Edwin is a wonderful guide. Born and raised in the neighborhood, he is highly intelligent and knowledgeable, speaks 5 languages and used to be an engineer before taking up his work with this NGO. He has a wealth of information.This isn’t just a tour. It’s a chance to help the NGO and see its work in action.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and heartfelt recommendation! We're thrilled to hear that you not only enjoyed exploring the beauty of Lima, but also had the opportunity to dive deeper into the lives and culture of its people. It’s fantastic that Edwin's knowledge and personal connection to the neighborhood made such an impact on your experience. We are so proud to partner with such a meaningful NGO and are happy to know the tour gave you a deeper understanding of its work. Your kind words mean a lot, and we’re grateful for your support!
Selena_R, Dec 2024
Our tour guide JJ was very knowledgeable and pleasant to work with! Gained so much information about how people live in Peru.
Dave_S, Oct 2024
Amadeo was a fantastic guide! Very knowledgeable about the area and very caring for the people and culture.
We chose to do this tour instead of the normal tourist stuff and we were not disappointed. I think everyone coming to Lima should do this tour. It is humbling in so many ways to see how the lowest income people survive in Lima. But also amazing to see how they pull together as a community to thrive and survive.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
It sounds like you had an incredible experience with Amadeo! It's great to hear that he was not only knowledgeable but also genuinely caring about the people and culture. Choosing a more authentic tour can really open your eyes to the realities of life in a place like Lima. It’s inspiring to see how communities come together to support one another. Thank you for sharing your thoughts—I'm sure it will encourage others to explore beyond the typical tourist paths!
Daniel_B, Jul 2024
Visits to Soup kitchen, market, school, actually speaking with a number of people. The guides were outstanding. The views were beautiful. A probing look into a world tourists don’t see. (As a matter of fact, my guess is most middle income Peruvians don’t either.) A very brave and determined volunteer at the soup kitchen.
Michelle_C, Jul 2024
Gabby was very passionate about this tour and explained everything very well. We visited a market and soup kitchen only. We thought we would have more of an opportunity to see how they lived up close vs. from a distance.
DEBORAH_D, Dec 2023
Whatever the world gives you, there is still hope. Soup kitchens to electricity, to walls replacing dumps, the madam president does it all.
Dylan_G, Sep 2023
Cesar my guide was very informative. He gave me a more realistic picture of life in the shanty town. From a kitchen to a classroom to the history of the district.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Thank you for sharing your experience. We believe in offering authentic experiences that show a holistic picture of the places we visit, and we are happy to know that Cesar did that for you.
We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again on another unique adventure in the future.
mike, Aug 2023
It was an unforgettable day, we learned a lot and met many kind people. Our guide was great, and the service was excellent!
Linda_D, Jun 2023
Incredible experience to see and experience the non-touristy Lima. Leonardo was a wonderful, knowledgeable, passionate guide. I will never forget some of the people I met on this tour.
Zuzana_K, Feb 2023
I'm very grateful I was able to see Shanty Town with Cesar. He's an amazing tour guide and you'll have a great time with him. People I met on this tour were sweet, kind and very welcoming. I'd do it all over again!! Part of the money spent on this tour goes to people in Shanty Town, so you not only have an amazing experience, but you also help with a great cause.
Response from Host, Feb 2023
Thank you very much for your beautiful words! César is very happy to know that you enjoyed the tour and learned about our culture :D
The entire Haku Tours team is very grateful to you for choosing us for this experience and also because thanks to that we can continue doing social projects.
Judith_R, Feb 2023
We very much enjoyed our Shantytown tour. It was very interesting to see and hear about this part of Lima and the projects that are actively trying to improve the lives of the people in this area. There are some outstanding people working to accomplish this goal. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Lima.
Helen_S, Sep 2022
We loved the Shantytown experience to broaden our understanding of the Peruvian people. Highly recommended.
Response from Host, Sep 2022
Thank you very much Helen, thank you for your kind words :D Please if you need something, let us know. We are more than happy to help you and organize other services for you. My best wishes to you!! We hope to see you soon :D
Sean_T, Sep 2022
I was unable to attend at short notice due to some heavily delayed international flights and flow on connection problems.
The team at the Shanty Town experience were so friendly and graceful offering to move my experience to another day even though the policy is no refund or changes within 24 hours.
The most genuine and kind people
Response from Host, Sep 2022
Thank you very much for your words! Haku Tours office team always watches over the well-being of our clients and doing as much as possible so that they do not miss out on the wonderful experience :D
We hope to see you soon!
Thomas_Z, Jun 2022
I would very highly recommend this tour to anybody visiting Lima. When I travel I always look for opportunities to break out of the tourist bubble, but even beyond that I was surprised how much I enjoyed this tour. It was a truly wonderful experience to meet and visit with the residents of this shanty town north of Lima, and they seemed sincerely happy to meet somebody from the US. I was impressed at how well they were able to build lives out of scrap materials and jerry-rigged electrical wiring. I was equally impressed with the tour company, how they work with the people help them maintain the necessities of life.
I very rarely (never) write reviews, but if I could give this tour 10 stars out of 5, that would still be an understatement of how much I enjoyed this experience.
Ebony_L, Mar 2022
This was a great private tour of a Lima Shantytown from actual residents. You will explore the town in detail and learn firsthand from their elected leader and hear about volunteer opportunities as well. Your money goes directly to helping the town.
Leah_S, Dec 2021
Felipe was amazing. We loved meeting the women running the community. The children were adorable. The community kitchen and gardens impressive. Very good driver. Tour was anything related to Peru you want to know about. Great if you have a day in Peru to get a full overview. Highly recommend this your or any other yours that Felipe offers (he is an aspiring chef and previous pro futbol player).
Damien_C, Nov 2021
The shantytown tour of Villa El Salvador was very memorable. My guide Aracely was very friendly and knowledgeable and made sure l felt comfortable which I did. We met one of the local community leaders named Tuanama. She explained all the good work that they do. I have come away with a different outlook on life. Very friendly people. Overall a great experience. Thanks to Haku Tours.
From $52.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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